As mobile electronic devices, such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and pagers, have become more sophisticated, the range of applications that they may offer has become more extensive. Such devices are now often provided with full color, high resolution liquid crystal displays (LCDs) that enable users to view sophisticated graphics, pictures, and video content. Further, new network access protocols, such as the Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), and i-Mode protocols, allow users to access Internet content through digital cellular networks. Such advances have considerably increased the volume and variety of content available to users of mobile devices. Today, such devices can access much of the same content that was once available only through use of a personal computer connected to the Internet via a land line.
Moreover, a growing number of well-known companies are now entering the mobile phone market as mobile virtual network operators (MVNO). These companies capitalize on their customers' brand loyalty by increasing brand awareness through mobile devices that target the companies' unique customer base, reflect their brand and, over time, strengthen that brand by growing the community. MVNOs do so by bundling mobile electronic devices with brand-specific services, such as ring tones, promotions, rebates, and news feeds.
Because mobile devices are easily transportable, and thus accessible by a user in any situation, availability to such a wealth of content on mobile devices benefits the user. The mobile device user may be a member of an organization or a group (e.g., family, company, team), and may carry and use mobile devices carried by other members. Each of the mobile devices may be carried and used by one of the group members, such as supervisory members (e.g., parent, employer, team leader) and supervised members (e.g., child, employee, team member).
A mobile device user now has mechanisms to access the same types of content on mobile devices as on personal computers. Furthermore, a mobile device user in a group may also communicate with other members of that group via associated mobile devices at a special rate. However, the traditional approach to group data sharing, group communication, and group management, particularly in a brand-specific context, is significantly deficient when applied to mobile devices, and conventional mobile device applications are not adapted to manage, coordinate, monitor, and share data among mobile devices that are associated in a group.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved mobile device applications and graphical user interfaces that provide for management and monitoring of electronic devices that are associated in a group and enable coordination and data sharing among the group's electronic devices.